Fishing lure



Aug. 15, 1939. w. H, scHUMANN` 2,169,929

FISHING LURE Filed Jan. 9, 1939 /9 M/i//iam H Schuman/2 Patented Aug. 15, 1939 UNI-TED vs'iATEs FISHING ILURE William I-I. Schumann, Kent, Ohio, assigner to Fly Fish Kit Company, Kent, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application January 9,

11 Claims.

'I'he present invention relates to fishing lures manufactured of soft stretchable material such as sponge rubber and more specifically to a composite body structure designed to prevent'I stretching and undesired distortion of the body while retaining the softness of the body material.

'I'his application is a continuation-impart of my copending application Serial No. 82,946, led

vJune 1', 1936, wherein other and broader aspects of the invention are claimed. The invention claimed in the instant application is an improvement over that disclosedand claimed in my above-mentioned application.

Sponge rubber lures are now in common use l1 5 and have proved extremely satisfactory as dry or submerged lures. It has been found, however,l

that repeated catches on a' single lure result in harmful distortion of the soft sponge rubber body by reason of the stretching and consequent 'go'bodily sliding of the body along the shank of the hook. These forces have been the cause of greatly shortening the useful life of such lures.

`In the past, this objection was overcome by the use of tying strands at each end of the lure in addition to the tying' strands between the ends.

Such additional tying strands have,l however,

caused an undesired slowing up of manufacture and materially increased manufacturing costs.

It is, therefore, the primary object of this invention to construct,y at reasonable cost, a soft sponge rubber lure having a useful life of unlimited duration.

A furtherimportant object of the present invention yresides in providing the sponge rubber body of a shing lurel with a layer of non-stretchable fabric which prevents damaging distortion ofthe body and resists the stresses tending to stretch and slide the body along the hook.

`.Another object of the present invention resides in providinga lure having a soft, reinforced, sponge rubber body with tying strands which impart the desiredjlife-like form to the body and cooperate with the'reinforcement and a. portion of the hook to secure the body to the hook in such a'manner that the forces tending to stretch the body and slide it along the hook when a fish takes the hook'are conned to the reinforcement and the tying strands.

. Otherobjects will appear from the description and appended claims when read-in conjunction' with the attached drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspectiveview of'a portion of a sheet of composite material from which the body of the ,lure of the present invention is formed 1939, Serial No.Y 250,015 (Cl. A13-48) Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through a lure of the present invention illus" trating the first step in the assembly of the body and hook. g

Figure 3 is a sectional view through the lure ofFigure 2 showing the second assembly step.

Figure 4 ls an elevational view of the lure as shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an elevational view of the completed lure made. in accordance with the present-invention.

With continued reference to the drawing, `wherein like reference numerals are used throughout the several figures to designate the same parts, numeral Ill designates a composite material used to manufacture a lure having the characteristics of the present invention.

Material I0 is manufactured by coating one face of a relatively thick, sponge rubber sheet II y with a suitabl adhesive or cement I2. A cement which has been found to be particularly satisfactory is manufactured by the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company and is obtainable o n the .open market under the designation Neoprene A relatively thin sheet I3 of a non-stretchable, readily deformable, fabric is then applied to the coated face of sheet II in yany suitable mann-er. A fabric which has been found to have .suitable characteristics and'which it is preferred to use, is sold on the open market under the name oiled silk. This fabric can be obtained in many different mesh sizes, namely, from to 200 mesh to the square inch, all sizes of which have proved Ito be satisfactory. Such a fabric is water-proofed by applying an oil preparation which 'seals the meshes..

The particular cement used,l namely, Neoprene D 700 F 3 is particularly suited for use` in the present invention since it is readily bent, compressed or twisted without cracking or allowing separation of the sponge rubber and` fabric at anyy point. Due tothe nature of this cement, each and every fibrey of the fabric is intimately and permanently bonded to the surface of sheet II.

Material I0 formed in relatively large sheets is cut in any suitable manner into body segments I4 of a size suihcient to produce the body of a lure. During-this cutting operation.' one end of segment I 4 is rounded as at I5 to provide asimulation of the curved back ofa live-insect or bug.

Segment Il is then threaded `on a hook .I6 by inserting barbl I'l of the hook Ainftoyend I8`of seg-y ment I4 and working the hook toward the opposite end. Before barb I1 reaches the opposite end of segment I4, it vis worked downwardly through sponge rubber portion I0 of segment I4 then through the cement layer I2 and finally through fabric reinforcing layer I3 so that the major portion of the bight I9 and barb I1 are disposed under the body I4 (Figure 2) The prevention of undesired stretching, slidiirig and distortion of body I4 is accomplished by providing shank 2I with an offset portion in the form of a V-shaped hump 22 and applying a tying strand 23 around body I4 adjacent hump 22 andbetween hump 22 and bight I9. Tying strand 23 may be of any suitable material such as silk or cat-gut that is not readily harmed by being soaked with water and is drawn tightly around body Il so as to compress the soft body I4 sufficiently to assure the disposition of a portion of fabric I3 in a plane within the outermost extremity of hump 22.

Strand 23 furthermore serves to divide body I4 into a portion 25 and a body portion 26 thereby more accurately simulating the appearance of a live fly. Strand 23 preferably serves the further purpose of securing a plurality of thin, flexible rubber bands 2'I simulating the legs, feelers and antennae of alive lure (Figures 3 and 4) to body I4 to impart a more life-like appearance to the lure. Strand 23 and fabric I3, due to their cooperation with the hump 22 prevent stretching of body Il upon the application of axial forces applied to end I8` and also prevent bodily sliding of body I4 along shank 2i toward eye,24.

In order to effectively resist rearward stretching and sliding of ybody I4, a further tying strand 29 encircling body Il adjacent hump 22 and between hump 22 andl eye 2l is provided. Tying strand 29 compresses body Il in the same man ner as tying strand 23, Furthermore, tying strand 29 divides portion 25 of segment I4 into a head portion 3I and a thorax portion'32, thereby still further approaching the natural appearance of a live lure. Preferably strand 29 also serves to secure a plurality of natural hairs 33 These hairs to the upper surface of the lure. simulate the folded wings of a live lure and still further enhance the natural'appearance of the lure.

Due to the use of a tying strand 23 disposed as described above, the grasping of the lure by a iish and the consequent rearward pull, resulting from playing the fish or pulling him in, will be resisted by fabric layer I3, tyin'g strand 23 and hump 22 each o f which cooperates with the other to'resist the axial forces applied to body Il. As a consequence, stretching and distortion of body I4 as well as rearward bodily movement of the body along shank 2I is prevented.

From the above description, it clearly appears that the present invention provides a soft sponge rubber lure that will not stretch or slide along the hook in use and which, consequently, will have a much longer useful life.`

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scpe of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced4 therein,

What is claimed and desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is;

1. An artificial lure for use in fishing comprising a hook; a body of soft, deformable material, including a non-stretchable fabric layer permanently bondedy thereto over a substantial surface area, mounted upon the shank of said hook; lsaid hook having a portion of its shank surrounded by said material and having an end portion extending from said shank through saic. fabric layer to terminate externally of said body; and means to secure said body to said hook, said fabric layer resisting axial strains imparted to said body as a fish takes the lure or fights the lure after being hooked whereby stretching and harmful distortion of the body is obviated.

2. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said body comprises a relatively thick, readily stretchable, sponge rubber layer and a thin, nonstretchable, waterproof fabric layer cemented to a face of said rubber layer.-

3. An artificial lure for use in fishing, comprising a hook having an eye at one end and an offset portion on its shank; a body of soft. deformable material, including a non-stretchable fabric layer, mounted upon the shank' of said hook with the offset portion of the hook embedded in the body; said hook having an end portion extending from said shank through said fabric layer so that a substantial portion thereof is outside said body; and means encircling said body adjacent the oiset portion of said hook and compressing said body, including the fabric layer, toward said shank to secure said body to said hook, said means and said fabric layer cooperating with said offset portion to resist axial forces tending to stretch or slide said body along said hook and said means deforming said body in such a manner as to impart a life-like appearance to said lure.

4. The combination defined in claim 3, wherein said body comprises a relatively thick, readily stretchable sponge rubber layer and a thin nonstretchable fabric layer cemented to a face of said rubber layer.

5. An artificial lure for use in fishing, comprising a hook including an offset portion adjacent the end opposite the bight; a body of soft deformable material including a layer of nonstretchable, waterproof fabric mounted upon the shank of said hook with the bight of the hook extending through the fabric layer and curved under the body; means tightly encircling said body adjacent the offset portion and between said end and the offset portion, said means and a the portion of the hook lying in the aperture in said fabric layer cooperating with the fabric layer to resist axial forces applied to the body whereby stretching or sliding of the body along the shank is prevented.

6. An artificial lure for use in fishing, comprising a hook including a shank having an eye at one end, a bight at the other end and an offset portion at a point between the eye and bight; a body, comprising a readily stretchable, sponge rubber portion of substantial thickness and a thin. non-stretchable oiled silk fabric layer secured to a face of said rubber portion, mounted on said shank with said shank and offset portion embedded in the sponge rubber portion and the bight protruding through the sponge rubber portion and said fabric layer at a point adjacent said other end of the body whereby forcesA applied to the end of said body at an angle to the axis of the shank will be concentrated at the aieacao deteriorative forces tending to stretch the soft deformable body are resisted and the useful life of the lure is greatly increased.

'7..An articlal lure for use in fishing compris'ing a body of soft deformable material, having a'sheet of readily deformable but relatively non-stretchable material permanently bonded upon a surface thereof; a hook having its shank embedded in said body with its bight portion' extendingv through said sheet so that the barbed point of the hook is disposed exterior-ly of said body; and means secured upon said body and cooperating with a portion of said hook -for preventing undesired displacement of saidbody along said hook.

8. An artificial lure comprising a vbody of sponge rubber or the like having a surface formed to vsimulate a desired live bait and a relatively nat surface upon which a sheet of non-stretchable, waterproof fabric is bonded in full surface engagement; a hook having its shank extending longitudinally throughV said body and with its bight portion extending through said sheet so that a substantial portion thereof is outside said body; and means secured upon said body and cooperating with a bent portion of said hook shank for securing said hook against undesired`relative sliding movement with respect to said body, said last named means also serving to deform a portion of'said body to further impart a life-like appearance to said lure.

9. An artificial lure for use in fishing comprising a body of stretchable deformable material; means providing a relatively non-stretchable lzyer extending over a considerable surface area Aof said body; a hook having a shank passing through said material and a portion emerging' from said body through said layer for rendering said body relatively non-.stretchable along said hook; means encircling said body and substan-` tially compressing said material toward said shank and constituting the sole means to produce at lees'tvone section of reduced cross-section that visibly separates uncompressed portions of said body and thus brings the shape -of said body .into approximate simulation of the body oi' a live fly, bug, or the like; and elongated highly-flexible threads secured to said body and projecting laterally thereof and forming legs simulating the legs or antennae of a live fly, bug or the like and designed so as to quiver when the lure is used in fishing.

10. An artincial lure for use in shing comprlsing a bodyof deformable material; a sheet of relatively non-stretchable vmaterial bonded upon a substantial surface area of said body; a hook having a shank passing through said material and an end portion emerging from said body through said sheet so as to prevent said body from being stretched along said hook in such a manner as to substantially cover the barb 'of the hook when a sh strikes and tugs at said body; means encircling said body and substantially compressing said material toward said shank and constituting the sole means to produce at least one section of reduced cross-section that visibly separates uncompressed portions of 'said body and brings the shape of said body into approximate simulation of the b'ody of a live ily, bug, or the like;v and elongated highly-exlble threads secured to said body and projecting laterally thereof and forming legs simulating the legs or antennae of a live ybug or the like and designed so as to quiver when the lure is used in fishing.

11. An artificial lure for use in shing comprising a body of deformable material, a sheet of bendable but relatively non-stretchable material bonded upon a surface area of said body; a hook having a shank embedded in said material and a portion emerging from said bodythrough said sheet in 'such a manner as to prevent said body from being unduly stretched along said hook, means encircling said body and Ysubstantially compressing said material toward said shank to bind said material to said shank and comprising the sole means to produce at leastA` one section of reduced cross-section that visibly separates uncompressed portions of said body 'and thus 1 brings the shape of sindl body into approximate simulation of the body of a live ily, bug or the like, and means to prevent shifting of said body along said shank toward the bight of said hook.

WILLIAM B. SCHUMANN. 

